Confederate Flag Takes Center Stage Once Again  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Republican presidential candidates on Thursday moved to appeal to different types of conservative voters before the South Carolina primary, with Mike Huckabee using colorful language to declare the Confederate flag …

Clintons play ‘good cop/bad cop’ on campaign trail  —  LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) — While Sen. Hillary Clinton is trying to soften her image on the campaign, she is allowing her pit bull — Bill Clinton — to go on the attack.  —  In a version of “good cop/bad cop” the couple has gone …

THE NEVADA CAUCUS: Poll: Nevada going to Clinton, Romney  —  Obama picks up no ground; Giuliani fades  —  Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney have comfortable leads in Nevada going into Saturday's presidential campaign caucuses, according to a new Review-Journal poll.

THE NEW ‘LEPERS’  —  THE TIMES' TROUBLE WITH VETS  —  I'VE had a huge response to Tuesday's column about The New York Times' obscene bid to smear veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan as mad killers.  Countless readers seem to be wondering: Why did the paper do it?

Are We In a Recession?  —  Brad DeLong tries to assess the situation.  One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is that people in Washington are pretty out of touch with the basic economic picture in the United States.  Not in the usual, pat, pseudo-populist “oh you're out of touch” …

Chris Matthews Backs Off ‘Nasty’ Remark on Clinton  —  Under pressure from feminist groups and his own bosses at MSNBC, Chris Matthews apologized yesterday for remarks about Hillary Clinton that he now admits sounded “nasty."  —  For 10 days, the “Hardball” host had doggedly insisted …

McCain hit by Hammer on the Hill  —  Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) lambasted Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Thursday for “betraying” the conservative movement.  —  During a private luncheon with Republican chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill, DeLay — who has criticized McCain for years …

Huge New Diebold Disparities Found in Manchester, Ward 5 During NH Hand Counts  —  Scores of Votes Mistallied for Every Democratic Candidate...  As mentioned last night, in this disturbing article, the early results of the hand counts of one Diebold precinct in Dennis Kucinich's election contest …

Fed Chief's Reassurance Fails to Halt Stock Plunge  —  WASHINGTON — The stock market plunged again on Thursday on bad economic news, taking little comfort from reassuring words by the chairman of the Federal Reserve or an emerging consensus about a stimulus plan that many worry could be too late.

Happy Birthday, Monicagate!  —  AN ANNIVERSARY WE'D ALL RATHER FORGET.  —  The press loves anniversaries of big public events because they're predictable, a quality seldom found in the news.  Coverage can be planned in advance.  Stories can be written, laid out, and put to bed without …

How Voters Think  —  People in my line of work try to answer certain questions.  Why did Hillary surge after misting up in New Hampshire?  Why have primary victories produced no momentum for the victors?  Why did John McCain win among Republicans who oppose the Iraq war in both New Hampshire and Michigan …

Reagan Advisers See A Bit Of Their Former Boss In Obama  —  Barack Obama found himself under fire on Thursday for having compared his candidacy to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential run.  —  “I don't want to present myself as some sort of singular figure,” he told the Reno Journal Gazette editorial board earlier this week.

HE'S A NEW JEW  —  CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, has a way to go before marrying his co-worker and sweetheart, congressional correspondent Dana Bash.  The Irish Catholic is converting to Judaism before their May wedding, which will help mollify Bash's father.  “Yes, it is true,” he told Page Six.

MBIA, Ambac Bond Default Risk Exceeds 70%, Swaps Show  —  Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) — MBIA Inc. and Ambac Financial Group Inc., the two biggest bond insurers, have a more than 70 percent chance of going bankrupt, credit-default swaps show.  —  Prices for contracts that pay investors if Armonk …